[defcribed]

Anyone on here based at Enstone?

Following another house move it's now my local airfield. Any local wisdom appreciated. Ideally looking for a share in something.

[Ian Melville]

I’m Enstone based.
What type tickles your fancy for a share?

[Rob P]

Isn't that where all these chaps are building a squadron of mini-Spitfires?

Rob P

[Ian Melville]

Yup

[defcribed]

I’m Enstone based.
What type tickles your fancy for a share?

I'm open to ideas.

At the moment I have a share in a TB10 at White Waltham, IFR capable. I'm thinking of either something similar, or going fair-weather only and getting into a fun-to-fly taildragger.

[johnm]

We get our TB 20 maintained by Tom Gilbert at Enstone. He’s at the far end from the Spitfire building lot. At Tom’s end there is a little club and it seems to be at the day VFR microlight level. Tom’s maintenance shop could build you a Stearman from scratch if you’d like one! I think he also rents a PA28 or two.

[Iceman]

@Djtaylor of this parish is also based at Enstone so give him a PM. He has his own Jodel.

Iceman

[defcribed]

We get our TB 20 maintained by Tom Gilbert at Enstone. He’s at the far end from the Spitfire building lot. At Tom’s end there is a little club and it seems to be at the day VFR microlight level. Tom’s maintenance shop could build you a Stearman from scratch if you’d like one! I think he also rents a PA28 or two.

I drove up to the far end today and poked around a bit. There was a TB20 outside what looked like it might have been a maintenance hangar. Green and white, I think it was (the TB20, not the hangar).

[johnm]

Not ours but Tom has a blue and white one of his own and maintains a few.

[DarrenL]

...or going fair-weather only and getting into a fun-to-fly taildragger.

I have a shares in a couple of things at Enstone, There is a share in a PA17 available I believe if you do want to go down that road and it might appeal.

There are three set ups at Enstone:

Enstone Flying Club - the Spitfire builders. Spam cans available there. Motor glider school there too. Quite a few private aircraft of varying types in the hangar. Operate almost exclusively off the north side grass runway now.

Oxfordshire Sport Flying - mostly motor gliders and I think a PA28. Some private aircraft too as well as a microlight school. They use the main runway and the south side grass.

North Side Grass Flyers - no school here, just many various types of private aircraft inside and out as well as maintenance. Very much the more relaxed and informal of the lot, the "clubhouse" being an old bus.

Welcome to the area

[defcribed]

What do you have shares in Darren? A PA17 might appeal, but if going the taildragger route I was perhaps hoping for something a touch quicker.

[djtaylor]

It is much as DarrenL summarised except that the buses have gone and there is a big new hangar just about completed.The TB20 there has just been given new wings by Tom . The Northside is separate to the south side which has the hard runway. I don’t know about available shares but it is becoming a busy airfield especially at weekends. The new motor glider club at the western end of Northside seems to be very active. Generally informal without too many rules.

[Ian Melville]

Oh Darren can sell you a share in a taildragger that is a touch quicker than a PA17

Not 100% sure but there is no microlight school at OSF. I think there is a small operation with a Thruster on NSG

[DarrenL]

What do you have shares in Darren? A PA17 might appeal, but if going the taildragger route I was perhaps hoping for something a touch quicker.

Indeed, you'd struggle to find something much slower! I am regularly overtaken by cars on the ground so yes, I have a share in that as well as one of the much loathed mini-Spits. That's considerably faster but requires a naught on the end of the share price!

Not 100% sure but there is no microlight school at OSF. I think there is a small operation with a Thruster on NSG

That could well be Ian, I'm perhaps mixing it up with having the microlight monopoly on the hard runway! They don't use NSG. It's quite hard to keep up with it all even if you're based there

[defcribed]

What are the mini-Spits like to fly?

I don't loath them at all, they look like a wonderful project and the certain lady-Spitfire-pranger who said unpleasant things about them and those who fly them can sod right off.